Today, two-thirds of U.S. adults
and nearly one in three
children struggle because they are overweight or have obesity. The
effects of the nation’s obesity epidemic are immense: taxpayers,
businesses, communities and individuals spend hundreds of billions of
dollars
each year due to obesity, including nearly $200 billion in medical
costs. Obesity is the reason that the current generation of youth is
predicted to live a shorter life than their parents. Much can be done
to
reverse the epidemic, yet important opportunities to tackle obesity at
the
national policy level -- including changes that enable more Americans to
eat
healthy and be active, as well as those that provide appropriate medical
treatment for patients -- have gone largely unmet. The Campaign works
to
fill this gap. By bringing together leaders from across industry,
academia and public health with policymakers and their advisors, the
Campaign
provides the information and guidance that decision-makers need to make
policy
changes that will reverse one of the nation’s costliest and most
prevalent
diseases.

This briefing will review the
steps taken by the private insurance marketplace, highlight the gaps that exist
between those services covered under private insurance and those covered under
public plans, as well as identify any lessons the Federal Government can learn
from the private payers.From this,
participants will discuss what, if any, policy proposals exist to address these
gaps and shortcomings. Potential questions to be considered include:

- What is the private payer marketplace doing to combat the obesity epidemic in America?-What is driving these coverage determination for the payer marketplace?-What gaps exist between private and public insurance coverage for the treatment and prevention of obesity?-How can policymakers address these gaps to ensure access to the full array of obesity prevention and treatment services?

CONCLUSION: What lessons can policymakers learn from and help advance to improve the care, treatment, and prevention of obesity in America?